Many of you know me as a great music fan. Some know that at 17 I wrote my first sponsor letter to First Avenue in Minneapolis to partner with my college radio show (they said yes!). Several of our First Ave friends were in my Honors' Composition class and 2 of them became my co-hosts. We wrote and won a grant that resulted in an open-air radio station. And I believed in the power of writing.

I've parlayed such connections into brands on a mission and the power of giving back. Thanks to all who helped us Go Gold with Teen Cancer America during September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness month!

Now, It’s book launch and a giveaway time! I'm excited to feature several success stories and many ways to #ShineThroughtheNoise and #sparkcreativity.

I was a little shy my freshmen year in Minneapolis after growing up in St. Paul. Jim invited me to learn about radio, production, promotion and benefit concerts hands on. I screwed my courage to the sticking-place (yes, I’m an English major) and started the specialty dance show sponsored by First Avenue. Jim and I were housemates for a year in college with other radio friends in Minneapolis. He was at the helm with our WMMR Board of Directors while pursuing the grant with the University of Minnesota. Radio K (http://www.radiok.org) in Minneapolis was the radio station result!

I remember Jim painting in college. It’s a pleasure to share his creativity and success now!

“This was a blast—lots of energy. I pushed the colors to be more vibrant and warmer which felt like a great fit for AkashaLin,” Jim said when discussing the artwork and inspiration. *

Thanks, Jim! 😊 I’ve been inspired by our discussions and especially by this vibrant painting!!

and Twitter from when we share the piece in progress! I’m grateful for that and the positive energy as we start this “Shine 2” chapter.

My journey as an artist and writer at a young age since both of my parents are professional artists. My mother Barbara was getting her Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Minnesota when I was growing up; she brought my brother and me into her studios to watch art come alive! Our backyard in St. Paul became a sculpture zoo of life-size animals my mother constructed; as they became weathered she turned to modern art pieces as a founding member of the WAVE gallery in Minneapolis. My father Bob was an Art Director at the 3M headquarters in St. Paul, MN and won several grand prize snow sculpture contests by turning our yards into winter wonderlands! My first trips on a plane came from him winning these prizes, sparking my interest in travel at a young age. I’m proud to say that they did well in business and in art and continue to create. For me creativity has opened many doors. I believe it will for you as well!

My first book Secrets to Shine Through the Noise covers my journey from starving artist to mentorship and the art of giving back. I was working hard in #indiefilm as a screenwriter, actress, producer and film promoter in Minneapolis and Los Angeles. That didn’t pay off for 10 years, but it has now as an author, brand expert and filmmaker. I’ve continued writing, have won awards 11 years in a row for marketing projects and have 3 series in negotiation. In Shine Through the Noise: Spark Creativity we visit with several experts on creativity, business and giving back through this book, series and seminar in the works.

So, please open your mind, playbook and sketchpad as we spark this journey together!

*Also, confession: I was not “Akasha Garnier” in college.
Read the #ShineThroughtheNoise series to find out what I learned about names, branding and reinventing ourselves.

Jim Musil painting giveaway is open to U.S. residents and includes free shipping.

There’s one painting to give away and it will be shipped to the winner in November 2018.

There will be other prizes during the next month as we shine together!

20 comments:

I absolutely loved the first book and am so excited for the second!! It's absolutely inspirational and motivates you on another level. It helped me alot during difficult times and I'm sure many more people will benefit from these books. Amazing blog post and incredible giveaway!!